I Could Show You Incredible Things

There are so many things that I would never have learned without my mentorship and research this year. There's so many technical terms I learned, i.e. CADS, techpacks, flats. It feels nice knowing what everybody's talking about when they're having meeting at MyMichelle. This month has been very busy for me senior project wise. I had two finals in my fashion classes at Cal Poly, which were absolutely draining, but totally worth it. They gave me insight on so many small details that mostly go unnoticed, but help sell the clothes in the end. At my mentorship, we've been working on December pre-line, which will be in stores in June. This line revolved around electric pink and royal blue and had peasant dresses and crop top dresses. We even had a Christmas party in our department with tons of food and beautiful decorations (done by me). The small six months I've been there have introduced to amazing people and have taught me so much. #HeresTo2015

A sneak peak at December preline.
Coming to a store near you, May 2015

The cutting page that goes in a techpack

An assignment for my AMM 112 fashion illustration class, I had to draw a pair of jeans. When you look at jeans, you don't realize how many reinforcement stitches and rivets they have. Fact is, they have A LOT. 

The decorations that were hanging across the table. 

Let's All Gather 'Round

This month we've had even more garments to make than we normally make due to a new project for Target. Yes, Target. The one and only, amazingly, magical Target. I know you may be thinking, "What is MyMichelle designing for Target for? Target has their own brand.", but you have been fooled. Target's smaller brands such as Xhilaration and Mossimo don't actually make all of their clothes. They buy most off of smaller companies like ours. So we had to do more dresses on top of our normal line, which means more cut tickets for me to fill out. We also took a moment this month to give thanks for all of our help throughout the department and had a Thanksgiving fiesta. #yumyum

Some current Holiday dresses from Target. If ours get picked, they would be in stores between April or May.

This is an example of the pattern cut tickets I fill out. I have to put information about the dress, include a swatch of the fabric, and specify where it's going to be at. This info helps the cutter do their job.

Sadly, I still get lost sometimes, but I can't help it if they keep sending me to new departments.

The decorations for our Thanksgivning Fiesta. We set up a long table and had tons of Mexican food. #amaz-beans

Blog 10: EQ

1. I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.


2.  a. What is the most important factor in a healthy weight loss?

• Follows the rule of three.
•  This question allows for in-depth research, gives a specific adjective wording (healthy), and can argue about weight loss.

     b. What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?

• Follows the rule of three.
• This question has very specific wording which can help with in-depth research, and it is arguable.

     c. What is the most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?

• Does not follow the rule of three.
• This question can have many variables that can mess with the possible answers, making it hard to come up with the best answer. It also doesn't really say what its asking for.

     d. How can an anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?

•  Does not follow the rule of three.
• This question is very general and doesn't allow you to take a stance, because a possible answer either is or isn't the best way to treat chronic pain.

3. What is the most important aspect of making, buying, and setting up clothing to make it appeal to the customer?

Lesson 1 Reflection

1. Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your Lesson 1 Presentation and why?

I liked how I got feedback on how I gave a lot of information and had good examples to explain them. I wanted to make sure I had good visuals because the behind the scenes of my topic are hard to explain without visuals since everything is very hands-on.

2. Questions to Consider

What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 1 Presentation? Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 1 component contract.

I would give myself a P because even though I may have been a bit nervous during the presentation, I felt that I talked about everything I had planned to, had visuals, referenced my sources, made time (barely, but I did), and I turned in the rough draft and the final lesson plan on time.

3. What worked for you in your lesson?

I feel that my research (definitely my mentorship) helped me learn about my topic and explain some concepts during my presentations. Also, rehearsing helped me so much. The night before, I went through it four times to make it sounded right and everything flowed.

4. If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 1?

Even though I practiced, being in front of the class is totally different.i was perfectly fine in the morning, and then right when they started, my heart started beating and it threw me off so much. Becasue it was our first big senior presentation,  I think it made everyone even more nervous. We should've have smaller, not-so-important presentations to get us used to talking about our project in front of a class. Now that we know what to expect, we can handle it better next time.

Things are Adding Up

October, the heat is starting to drop, the leaves are falling, and crisp air races through your car window. But in the MyMichelle department, we are surrounded by florals and chiffon, designing for April merchandise. Because kids' trends don't move that fast, our designers have 6 months until their garments hit the floor. With all of this happening, I am taking two college classes for my independent component. These classes are helping me learn the basics of designing and it explains what I've been doing at my mentorship. I know how to do more things now, like drawing garments digitally and analyzing a garment to fit a consumers wants. This month I was working on of more techpacks and cutting tickets in preparation for the October pre-line. After I finish these tasks, I have to take them their respective department and it's still pretty confusing. This place is huge. #literally

A sheath dress I drew with my original print.

A pencil skirt and a full skirt I drew.

CADs of prints from the art department

September line coming out in March.

Sometimes I just get really lost, and I just need some help. #findmetreasure #argghhh

Blog 8: Research and Working EQ

1.  What is your working EQ?

What is the most important aspect of making, buying, and promoting clothing to make it appeal to the customer?

2.  What is a possible answer to your working EQ? Please write the answer in thesis format.  

What is the most important aspect of making, buying, and promoting clothing to make it appeal to the customer?

•  the design of the garment to attracts a customer

•  the layout of the store to direct a customer to the product

3.  What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ? 

• My college classes have given the most help with information on the industry and the process of garments and my mentorship has helped me see the lectures as a real process.

4.  Who is your mentor, or where are you doing mentorship, and how does what you are doing relate to your working EQ? 

• My mentorship is at Kellwood Company in the MyMichelle girsl department and this whole experience is helping mesee all the information as useful and gives  gives me a hands on learningg experience. 

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

1. I plan to start a fashion club with Imelda Gomez to help others appreciate the art of fashion. This has already been approved by ASB with Mrs. Edwards as our adviser. We plan to have meetings once a week on Wednesdays at lunch. We have some activities planned such as style collages,a color theory lesson, and pattern analysis. 

If this doesn't work, I'm also taking a digital illustration class and an Apparel Design Analysis class at Cal Poly.  

2. Because it is in a classroom, it is easy to get pictures of us leading the club and the activities we have. 

3. For the club, I will be gathering information from my college classes and their textbooks. I currently have other fashion textbooks full of anything you need to know about fashion. 

4. The independent component 1 hours log is currently green in my MentorshipHour Log located on the right side of my blog. 

A Lost Journey to Knowledge

This month, I worked with the department that gets the garments ready for shipment overseas. They make techpacks, basically an instruction manual for foreign countries who are making the clothes. I got to go even deeper this month as I delivered new patterns to the import department. This gave me more insight on the company and the processes of making a garment and it got me super lost all time. The new pattern dept. was on side and the techpack delivery was downstairs on the other side. It was just a disaster waiting to happen.

My view making techpacks.

The import department where I drop off new patterns.

the hallway to the import dep. (I think)

I think you can see how I get confused all the time

They all look the same #uhoh

Blog 6 - Second Interview Preparation

1. 
- David Silva - MyMichelle at Kellwood Company
- Marcille Hughes - Nordstrom Santa Anita

2.

1. How long have you been in the industry?
2. Who/what inspired you to go into this industry?
3. What was your schooling/ training and how did it prepare you for your current job?
4. What jobs did you have before your current one and what did you learn from them?
5. How has your job changed in the past years and how have you adapted to it?
6. How has working in the industry changed your perception of fashion?

Blog 5 - Mentorship Reflection

1. When we were watching senior presentations last year, a senior asked me what I wanted to do for my senior project. I said something in the fashion industry and she said her mom worked in the HR department at Kellwood, a manufacturing warehouse. Her mom got me an internship in the MyMichelle department and I've been there ever since. I also have an internship at Nordstrom mentoring with the store manager. I was in a meeting at the BP. department and she was a guest speaker. She talked about the industry and I talk to her after about my project. We had lunch a week after and she said she help me any way she could.

2. The most important article in my research has been "The Pyschology of Fashion" by Jennifer Baumgartner. It gave a great explanation of fashion and how humans understand it and how they subconsciously take it it. It talked about color palets, the shape of garmets, and the style of a person and how it tells something about them. 

New Month, New Market

Over the summer, I was completing my hours in the MyMichelle division at Kellwood Company, a place that designs, manufactuers, and markets a variety of brands to big box department stores such as JcPennys, Kohls, etc. I was able to see the full cycle of a line and now that August is  over, everyone is preparing for next month's market. This month, as I was helping the assistants put together techpacks to send overseas ( it's basically an instruction manual for making every single thing possible in the garmet ex. lace and fabric, straight down to the color and size of a button ), I was watching the designers start to sketch and meet with each other for designs for the next line.

So now as the August line closes, I'll be doing even more, since I have more experience. The good news is the MyMichelle dept. manager saw me working one day on a sad cardboard board box and Im now getting my own desk! #movingonup

The sign in front of the company

I will be working for this department in the girls dresses and sportswear.

My sad cardboard "desk"

My super cool badge that totally makes up for a cardboard desk.

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

1.  I plan to interview David Silva, head designer of MyMichelle sportswear. I feel that his experience and knowledge of the industry will give me a deeper look at the steps of merchandising clothes.

2.  - What is the most stressful part about making a line of clothes?
     - What are the steps to making a garment? A line?

Blog 3 : Topic Choice and Working EQ

1.  Fashion/ Retail Merchandising

2. What is the most important aspect of making, buying, and promoting clothing to make it appeal to the customer?

Summer Mentorship Component

1. Senior Mentorship Hours Log

2. Fatima Rodriguez (recently resigned) and David Silva

             Kellwood Company: 626-934-4111

3.   - When do the garmets actually come out in stores?

       - What's the most difficult part of making a clothing item?

       - What's the best part of the month-long process of making a line?

       - During the preline meeting, what are they (the MyMichelle reps) looking for?

4. I gained the behind the scenes knowledge of what actually goes into making a garmet. Now when I go shopping, I don't just look at the outside anymore, I look at the color choices, the trims, and the construction. After measuring an exact length of trim and watching fabric be died to the designer's exact wants, I feel like I know how much effort and thought was put into a single item.

5.  Retail/Fashion Merchandising. I've always loved this topic and getting to volunteer gave me first-hand experience and showed me how fast-paced, fun, and exciting the industry really is. 

Blog 1 - Senior Presentations 5/14

1. What presentations did you see?

•  Social Work for the Abused - Deborah Martinez
• Cosmetology - Emily Vysma
• Criminology - Analysa Gallegos
• International Business - Sabrina Colin
• Teaching First Grade - Xena Perez
• EMT(First Aid) - Jeremy  Ethridge
• Personality Disorders - Kimberly Gallardo
• HLE Officer - Devanna Terry
• Surfing - Garret Soapes
• Bakery - Beladona Ontiveros
• Culinary Arts - Madisyn Delgado
• Cancer Advocacy - Brianna Sigala
• Coffee Shop Management - Brandon Rodriguez
• Cal Poly PST - Ana Landeros

2. What questions do you have that haven't been answered about the senior project?

• Is it better to have more than one mentor?
• What is the independent component?
• Is there any other major projects besides Model Assembly and Senior Project?

3. What was the most important part of the senior project based on what you are seeing in the 2-hour presentations?

• You can tell that the only thing that the presenting senior is focusing on is the time. Throughout the presentations, some would get visibly frustrated and start rambling because they needed more time and at the end, when they find out they made time, they would celebrate with their friends because "They were graduating!"

4. What topic are you considering doing and why?

• I really want to go into the fashion industry, so I want to further my interest in it by doing my senior project on it. I feel that this will help me get ahead career-wise because this will give me the hands-on experience I need.

5. What are you doing for your summer mentorship?

• I have emailed several people in the visual department in Macy's and I am currently in touch with a warehouse in the City of Industry.